Best Things To Do in Vatican City, Vatican

Are you looking for what to do in Vatican City?

PLACES TO SEE

  • St. Peter’s Basilica: Not the actual mother church, but still the most important Catholic Christian building in the world.
  • St. Peter’s Square: A massive ellipse perfect for people watching and the occasional pope watching.
  • Vatican Museums: A series of incredible museums that are charged for and viewed as one. Sistine Chapel included.
  • Vatican Gardens: It covers most of the Vatican hill. Fountains, forests, flowers & sculptures.
  • Vatican Necropolis: An underground series of burial chambers that ends with what is widely regarded as the final resting place of St. Peter.

Below we have a list of things to do in Vatican City and the places where you want to spend the best moments of your trip. At the same time, the city offers you the best neighborhoods to explore and new foods to try.

This list should help you in deciding and prioritizing what you should plan on your Vatican City getaway. Find a mix of must-see tourist spots, underrated local hangouts, and maybe even a few new experiences you can try out.

Make the most of your trip to Vatican City with confidence.

Tourist Attractions in Vatican City

Here is the list of things to do in Vatican City and tourist attractions in city.

  1. St Peter's Basilica

    Art And Culture, Church, Religious Site, Landmark

    Undisputed zenith of Renaissance architecture. Inarguably the most significant church in the world. Mecca of Catholic Christendom. Almost certainly the final resting place of St. Peter. Dominant of Rome’s skyline. Big enough to fit the Statue of Liberty. Michelangelo’s most reluctant masterpiece. The stunning building’s most important sights are: La Pieta: The only signed wor...Read more
  2. Vatican Museums

    Art And Culture, Museum, Architecture , Exhibition

    Though it is the 5th most visited art museum in the world (with about 5-6 million visitors annually), its 55 galleries of irreplaceable masterpieces are only part of the fame. The highlights are: The Bleeping Sistine Chapel! Michelangelo’s most famous painting, The Last Judgement, adorns the ceiling of the chapel. Also spellbinding are the frescoes by the painter. The chapel is the site ...Read more
  3. Sistine Chapel

    4.6 (13652 Votes)
    Sistine Chapel

    Religious Site, Historical Site, Cathedral

    Sistine Chapel is the most popular place to visit in the Vatican City. Dating back to the 15th century, it is the official residence of The Pope and also serves as the location for the Cardinals to elect The Pope. Like many other Italian churches from the Medieval and Rennaissance eras, the Sistine Chapel’s exterior is quite simple and does not showcase any architectural decoratives. But,...Read more
  4. St Peter's Square

    Art And Culture, Landmark, Cafe, Restaurant

    Bernini delivered exactly what Alexander VII wanted – a massive square to dwarf imagination. The 240 meters wide and 196 meters long architectural wonder can fit in 400,000 people and took eleven years to complete. The semi-circular colonnades represent the church’s endeavour to embrace the world. At the centre, an ancient Egyptian obelisk rises to the sky – it was witness to...Read more
  5. Vatican Gardens

    4.7 (14519 Votes)
    Vatican Gardens

    Garden, Park, Leisure, Picnic Spot

    Covering 57 acres, the gardens are spread over most of the Vatican Hill. It’s said to have earth brought over from Golgotha, to symbolically unite the blood of Christ with the blood of the thousands of early Christian martyrs. Medieval fortifications, buildings and monuments from the 800s to today are set among flowers, orchards, lawns and forest. There are a number of beautiful fountain...Read more
  6. Vatican Necropolis And Saints Tomb

    Art And Culture, Church, Religious Site, Landmark

    12-15 metres below the St. Peter’s Basilica, a religious tomb sleeps. Pope Pius XI, who believed that St. Peter was buried close, wanted to be buried near the apostle. Excavations in the 1940s revealed that a large network of burial chambers for the dead. Human bones found in the Graffiti Wall close to St. Peter’s suspected grave are largely believed to belong to the apostle, and a...Read more
  7. Museo Storico - Padiglione Delle Carrozze Image
    ©
    Museo Storico - Padiglione Delle Carrozze is a very interesting museum in Vatican City, but many visitors tend to skip it. This museum has a fascinating collection of horse-drawn carriages, sedan chairs and cars that were used by the former popes. Stepping into the museum, you will be transported back in the olden times. As it is not visited by many, the museum has become popular as a hidden ge...Read more
  8. Sant'anna Dei Palafrenieri
    While it is easy to overlook a church while you are in Vatican City, you must absolutely not miss visiting Sant'Anna dei Palafrenieri. This Roman Catholic Church was built between 1565 and 1775 and displays the Baroque style of architecture. The interior of this church is elliptical with eight side chapels. While the inner walls of the church were quite simple and plain until the mid-18th centu...Read more
  9. St Peter Piazza
    The Piazza di San Pietro is in fact an ellipse. There are a couple of stones one on either side of the square flanked by the fountains and the obelisk. If you get onto any one of these stones, the four columns on the colonnades combine into one. The architects who created the fountains were Bernini and Maderno
  10. The Baldacchino And Dome, St. Peter's Basilica

    Church, Religious Site, Monument, Architecture

    St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City is a world-famous monument. This church is significantly important in the tourism and history of the city. People from around the globe come to visit this place. The sheer grandeur and architecture of this church are beyond words. This church is just a two-minute stroll away from the Colosseum. You will be delighted to observe the domes inside the church...Read more
  11. Apostolic Palace

    4.6 (76 Votes)
    Apostolic Palace

    Palace

    Counted as one of the best things to do in Vatican City, the Apostolic Palace is where the current Pope resides. A visit to this palace will give you the opportunity to explore its well-mowed lawns fringed by beautiful pillars. If you are inclined towards the art of statues and sculptures, this palace is abundant with it. If you visit the palace on Wednesday you can even see the Pope. Some lov...Read more
  12. Cupola Di San Pietro

    4.6 (5 Votes)
  13. Vatican Hill

    4.7